Brake Safety Week Held to Increase Truck Safety, Reduce Truck Accidents
Brake Safety Week was held from September 7th to the 13th this year. This event, conducted by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), was anticipated to cover more than 30,000 brake inspections across the United States, Canada and Mexico. These Level IV inspections examine the entire brake system on the tractor-trailer, in particular looking for:
- Loose or missing parts
- Air or hydraulic fluid leaks
- Worn linings, pads, drums or rotors
- Other faulty brake system components
Other areas checked include driver’s license and registration, low air warning device, pushrod travel, air loss rate (where a leak is detected) and the tractor protection system. Vehicles which are discovered with defective or out-of-adjustment brakes are placed out-of-service.
Brake Safety Week Follows Up on Surprise Truck Inspections Conducted Last Spring
In addition to the inspections announced as part of Brake Safety Week, the CVSA also initiated a round of unannounced inspections last May. While the results of Brake Safety Week have not yet been released, we do have information about the unannounced inspections from earlier this year.
Over 8,700 surprise unit inspections were conducted on trucks and buses across the United States and Canada. In the U.S., 10.1% of units were found out-of-service (OOS) for brake adjustment, 8.7% OOS for brake components (15.6% OOS total for brakes), and 10.5% OOS for other items.
In New Jersey, just over 15% of units were pulled from service for brake adjustment or brake component issues or other items. The OOS rates in New Jersey were actually the lowest among the 24 jurisdictions covered in the surprise inspections. The OOS rates of trucks inspected in neighboring Pennsylvania were twice as high as they were in New Jersey, while in New York they ran anywhere from two to three times higher than the Garden State.
Comprehensive Level I Inspections Judge Safety of Truckers and all Semi-Truck Systems
Most of these inspections were Level IV inspections, focusing only on the brake system without looking at other issues which may be present. A handful of Level I inspections were also conducted, however. Level I inspections include a vehicle-wide inspection including brake systems, tires/wheels, lighting devices, steering mechanisms, securement of cargo, coupling devices, trailer bodies and more. Level I inspections also look at driver qualifications, including an examination of driver’s license, hours of service, record of duty status, alcohol and drugs, and more.
Brake Safety Week and the unannounced inspections are part of Operation Airbrake, a program designed to reduce the number of highway truck crashes caused by faulty braking systems on the big rigs. In addition to roadside inspections, Operation Airbrake engages in driver education and the education of truck mechanics on the importance of proper brake inspection, maintenance and operation. Brake violations routinely account for nearly half of all out-of-service violations uncovered during roadside inspections and are likely implicated in a large number of trucking accidents which result in serious personal injury or wrongful death for truck crash victims.
